The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-11
HOW THE CROPS SHOW UP
A DECLINE IN THE CONDITION OF
CORN IN SOME STATES.

The Condition of Spring Wheat Very
Low-No Change from Last Month
in the Condition of Oats-The Pros
poets of the Cotton Planters Still
Very Good.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 10.-The August re-
port of the Department of Agriculture says;
The prospect month ago was for very
heavy crop of corn, and the rate Of yield
about the average. Its condition in all the
States of the Atlantic coast is now unim-
paired and of very high promise in Texas
and Tennessee. The conditions have de-
clined materially in the central corn region,
however In the valleys of the Ohio and
Missouri, where two-thirds of the crop is
grown and the commercial supply is pro
duced, very heavy reduction has taken
place, which has made the national average
S0.7 instead of 97.7 last month. The cause
is the long continued drought which has
been severest i'm Kansas, Illinois, Indiana,
Ohio and Michigan Nebraska has been
scorched on the southern border, and Iowa
and Missouri have escaped with compare
lively light loss, as have the more northern
States The seven corn surplus States stand
Iowa 80, Missouri SO, Kansas 60, Nebraska
rs.
SPRING WHEAT.
The condition of spring wheat, which was
reported very low last month from the
ravages of the chinch bugs, is not improved
| in August returns, but has fallen off very
| slightly, the general average being 7SS, two
| points less than the August
returns last year. Dakota
| has made a slight gain and stands highest
| in condition. The average for Wisconsin is
| 73, Minnesota "a, Iowa II, Nebraska n, Da-
| kota 49, In the extreme East and on the
Pacific coast the condition Of spring wheat
| is high. There is no report of winter wheat
| for the present month. as it is too early TO
obtain results.
/ In the oat crop there is no change. A
part of the breadth was harvested at the
last report The condition averages $50,
which indicates a crop slightly under the
| average.
| The barley crop promises to yield rather
| better than was feared last month. The
| Eastern product averaged higher condition,
but is reduced slightly since the last report.
The average is 66.2, indicating nearly an
| average yield.
| The buckwheat area appears TO be prac-
| ticallY the same as last year and averages
| about % In condition.
POTATOES POORER.
There is a great reduction since July
lst in the condition of potatoes, almost en-
| tirely the result of the drought. There is
no material decline on the Atlantic or Gulf
coast, but the injury is severe in the West.
| rhe loss during the month as reported is
| fully 20 per cent. of the prospective crop.
| The fruit crop is very poor. There will
| be few apples outside of New England and
| New York There will be partial crop in
| Michigan In the Ohio river States the
harvest will be nearly failure.
The hay crop is also greatly reduced in
the West. The general average is 80.
COTTON
The past month has been favorable to
cotton except that the rainfall has been un-
| equally distributedin point of time, drought
| threatening at one period and damaging
| floods following. In the eastern belt an ex-
cess of moisture predominates as a factor of
| depreciation. The weed is therefore large
and sappy and fruit fall appears
| in some fields seriously, and
in some cases rust appears. In
Louisiana similar conditions have pre-
vailed and only very partially in Missis-
sippi. Texas has been TOO dry, though the
drought has not as yet been disastrous or
severe.
GOOD STAND.
The prevalent status of the crop is very
good for the first of August, while the re-
| ports recognize this as a critical time and
| fear the effect of subsequent drought upon
| the green and succulent condition of the
plant. In comparison of ten years the
| August condition is only exceeded by that
of 1882 and 1885, one producing a large crop
and the other an unaer the medium yield
| The general average of condition Is 1913,
which is lower by over three points than
that of July. The State averages are: Vir-
ginia %, North Carolina 90, South Carolina
95, Georgia "a, Florida 96, Alabama 93,
Mississippi 96, Louisiana "a, Texas 81, Ar
kansas 81, Tennessee 95.
THE CATERPILLARs.
The first brood 6f caterpillars has ap-
peared in several States, but is not generally
mentioned in the returns. II is reported in
| Oraugeburg and Berkeley, South Carolina ;
in Calhoun, TAYLOR Dooley and Laurens,
Georgia; in Hall, and Dallas, Alabama; Star
| key, Lewton, Issaquena and Eltookibbee,
Mississippi; in Red River, Bossier Richland,
| Natchitocnes and Iberville, Louisiana, and
in Stephens Camp and Jackson, Texas. The
boil worm is much less frequently men
toned.
TOBACCO.
The tobacco crop is in high condition in
| the seed leaf States, averaging nearly 100,
except in Wisconsin. The shipping and
| butting districts Of the West make an un-
precedented report of low condition,
as follows Tennessee 20, Kentucky
50, Ohio 55, Indiana 81, Illinois
1 50. Missouri Co. In view of the
heavy reduction in acreage only a small
fragment Of the usual crop may be ex-
pected The official investigation In progress
| will determine autboritatively the breadth
| cultivated the present year.